The October Hit List: The Dabney, Albi, Happy Gyro, Makan, and More

Bright, aromatic, textured flavors from the streets of Mumbai are served up by James Beard award-winning chef Vikram Sunderam. Spend an afternoon drinking cold lagers and savory snacks like shrimp bezule: lightly battered and fried shrimp, tossed in a pungent mixture of black mustard seed, curry leaf and green chile. Or enjoy a splendid dinner assemblage of chaat, pao, and the market fish — a filet marinated in yogurt spiced with tamarind, fennel, and black pepper, and steamed in banana leaf. With the downtown business district mostly evacuated for teleworking, there is ample patio space, and incommon serenity at their Foggy Bottom location. The Cleveland Park location is open, too, if you’re farther out on the Red Line.

Dining status: Patio is open for reservations, takeaway and delivery are also available. 

A growing number of restaurants have adopted wood-fired hearth cooking with seasonal ingredients, but few practice the approach with such deliberate intention and finesse as the Dabney. While the menu is refreshed as ingredients reach their peak season, mainstays lie fried Chesapeake catfish sliders on housemade sweet potato rolls, grilled Cape May scallops, and hearth-roasted vegetables are never to be missed. Same with the Watermen & Steam Captain, one of their signature cocktails, made with Madeira, Barbadian rum, Sibona amaro, and bay leaf. A thoughtful selection of wines, especially from Champagne, Burgundy, and the Loire Valley, pair beautifully with the rich Mid-Atlantic marine and game flavors. On weekend mornings, breakfast sandwiches, glazed donuts, and Irish cold brew as well worth the wait.

Dining status: Patio dining and reservations resume October 23.

Pitmaster Shawn McWhirter, a D.C. native, alumnus of Hill Country Barbeque, and part of the opening team at the revered DCity Smokehouse, is now at the helm of Smokin’ Pig on H Street NE. The spare ribs are a triumph; meaty and well seasoned, with deep smoke penetration, and a savory bark. No sauce required. Collard greens, fortified with smoked meat, and a rousing, spicy vinegar tang, is roughage at its best. 

Dining status: Open for limited dine-in service on the second floor, with an adjoining back patio, and available for takeaway and delivery. More info here.

Previously at Spoken English, chef James Wozniuk, a seasoned practitioner of the wok and grill, has opened Makan, the first Malaysian restaurant in the District since the closure and relocation of Malaysian Kopitiam to Raytheon Acres, Va. Wozniuk prepared with immersive travel to Malaysia,  with his mentor, the Lao chef Seng Luangrath. There are familiar Lao, Cantonese, and Indian influences woven through the menu of stir-fries and curries; mango salad, Penang street noodles, and pork vindaloo come to mind. Don’t miss the fried yucca with scraped coconut, and sambal ikan bilis, a condiment of fried anchovy, tamarind, and chili, which reveal the more radical dimensions of this cuisine.

Dining status: Patio is open for reservations, and available for takeaway.

Regardless of the quality of farmers-market products you sourced for your pasta dinner party, it can be demoralizing to see how they pale compared to the decadent pastas at Reveler’s Hour. Think Taleggio ravioli with fennel, almond, and raisins, or lumache with spicy pork-belly ragù, parsley, Parmesan, and fennel pollen breadcrumbs. Pair with selections from their extensive list of wines by the glass, curated around transportive themes: N x NW Portugal, or Winter in Provence. Or order takeaway, and stream a corny romcom with good scenery (Under the Tuscan Sun, perhaps?) for some escape and self-care.

Dining status: Limited dine-in service is open for reservations, and available for takeaway. Reservations for Reveler’s Hour at The Lot (outdoors) go live each Monday at 10 a.m.

This izakaya from father-daughter duo Hiroshi and Sizuka Seki offers the gamut of sashimi, yakitori, and fried snacks, in a hidden townhouse just off the bustling main drag of U Street. Grilled skewers of pork cheek marinated in koji and miso (tontoro), or fatty chicken meatballs (tsukune), are finished with Hiroshi’s 9-year old taré mother sauce. Broiled sablefish marinated saikyo-style in sake and miso does not disappoint. Sizuka’s beverage list packs coveted sakes alongside Friulian orange wine, and white Burgundy.

Dining status: Open for limited dine-in service, and available for takeaway. More info here.

Basque cider house meets mid-Atlantic seaside bar? Why not. This comes together as plates of Cantabrian anchovies, jamón serrano, and pulpo à la Gallega, alongside grilled Battlecreek oysters, clam chowder, and lobster rolls with patatas bravas. Classic Basque and Normandy ciders are offered, along with a deep selection of housemade ciders. Look for those made from regional heirloom apples, fermented by native yeasts, aged in barrels, for brisk and savory expressions that pair well with everything on offer.

Dining status: Patio is open for reservations at their Florida Avenue location, available patio seating at their Kennedy Street location, with takeaway available from both locations.

While we yearn to once again experience chef Christian Irababien’s provocative modern Mexican cuisine at his planned brick-and-mortar location for Amparo Fondita, for now you’ll be grateful for his menu of soulfully prepared taco dinners, complete with housemade tortillas, salsas and pickled vegetables, rice, and Rancho Gordo beans. Also nuts and grasshoppers for snacking, and a slice of tres leches cake. Consider reserving a table on the patio for the chef’s prix fixe menu, with an order of spicy margaritas by the pitcher. Or get delivery of charred sweet-potato burritos with a Tecate & Tequila shot combo, which makes for a great power lunch while working from home.

Dining status: Patio is open for reservations, takeaway and delivery are also available. More info here.

At Albi, chef Michael Rafidi was not satisfied to merely deconstruct and recreate the recipes inherited from his grandmother. He broadened his inquiry, cross-pollinating flavors across the Middle East, to re-envision his own modern Levantine cuisine. Wood-fired grills are harnessed to great effect, developing  smoky aromas that layer with spices, and bring out the full depth of meats, vegetables, and breads. The wine program, formidable in its range, is intuitively grouped by style  such as Savory Whites, #unapoligeticallyclassicwhites, “Donnie Darko” Reds, “The Godfather” Reds, and so on.

Dining status: Patio and limited-dine in service are open for reservations. 

Michelin starred Greek restaurant Komi has transitioned to Happy Gyro: Carry-Out Edition, serving (mostly) plant-based Greek deli classics. The food looks uncanny for what it is, which is to say: that gyro is made from tofu skin, and the Rueben from celery root. There’s also sourdough pizza with either seasonal vegetables, but no one is judging you for taking the vodka sauce, spicy Calabrese salami, and Jimmy Nardello peppers option. Save room for olive-oil gelato by the pint.

Dining status: Takeaway only. 

Next on deck at Mercy Me’s pop-up series is chef Nicolas Tang; hailing from Singapore, and most recently the Executive Chef at DBGB in CItyCenter. But his culinary story began much earlier, absorbing his grandmother’s Cantonese cooking at home, and working nearly a decade for Daniel Bouloud across kitchens in Singapore, London, and New york. At DBGB, Tang’s Eastern influence on the menu, including his seared duck breast with duck confit XO sauce, and Singapore black pepper crab, yielded among their most celebrated dishes.

On Oct. 11, he’ll be cooking a four-course tasting menu of Singaporean cuisine from his childhood, served at Mercy Me’s spacious back patio, with a portion of proceeds benefiting World Central Kitchen. Reserve tickets exclusively via Resy.